


To The Top

by Soozen



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Jet (Avatar)-centric, Jet Lives (Avatar), Rare Pairings, Romance, Slightly more substantial than fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-24 15:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30074052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soozen/pseuds/Soozen
Summary: Jet meets Ty Lee in Ba Sing Se, and she shows him how to move on.
Relationships: Jet/Ty Lee (Avatar)
Kudos: 4





	To The Top

**Author's Note:**

> This had originally been posted back in the fall of 2020, and I've decided to repost it. It had been a quote prompt fill, but I can't find the original prompt again, so...yeah.

Now that the war was over, Jet did not know what to do with himself.

Thanks to the injuries that Long Feng had given him down beneath Lake Laogai, leaving Ba Sing Se had not been an option. Longshot and Smellerbee had found an old abandoned shack, out near the farmlands, to hide Jet in until his injuries had healed. They’d had every intention of leaving the damned city as soon as Jet was healed, but the opportunity never came.

The outer wall was brought down, and Fire Nation soldiers were suddenly everywhere, and Jet’s urge to fight came rushing to the surface. Smellerbee had none of it.

“You have two broken ribs,” she had snapped at him when she caught him on his feet, tiger blades in hand, peering out the window of the shack as if daring a soldier in red and black to come their way.

Smellerbee might be small, but she was _strong_ and stubborn and vicious, and Jet was in no condition to fight with her, so he compromised: he would stay in, and rest, and heal, and the moment he was fit to fight, he would be out there, causing trouble.

Once again, the opportunity never came. His wounds had scarcely healed when the sky turned orange, and he could hear fighting, feel the rush and the heat of flames that were visible for miles and miles, and then…. It was over. All red flamed banners were gone from the city, soon to be followed by the soldiers themselves. A new Fire Lord had been crowned, the gossip was, and he had called an end to the Hundred Years War.

Jet should have been happy to see the war done. It was what he had dreamed of for years, since he had first seen the flames devouring his home and his family.

Instead he felt…empty. Uneasy. Cheated.

All his life, all he had known was the state of war. He knew how to be alert and ready, to fight, to ambush. What he didn’t know what how to live in a state of peace.

The following weeks, Jet was more restless than he had ever been. Turns out, his original, brilliant idea of moving to Ba Sing Se and ‘going straight’, getting jobs and becoming a member of functioning society was something he just _could not do_. Sneaking and planning, readying for the next event, that was what he was good at.

Keeping a ‘normal’ job was difficult. Smellerbee and Longshot adapted so much easier than he had, somehow content with the monotony of the work they did on one of the farms. Jet didn’t take orders from others too well. After walking off the third job, he stopped looking for a new one.

He found something else to keep him occupied, taking to wandering the streets at night. Thieves and cheats were most active then, in the dark of night, mugging in the alleys and accosting the night workers. It wasn’t the same as fighting the Fire Nation, but there was some satisfaction of stopping these lowlifes from robbing and stealing and hurting others.

The work didn’t exactly pay, but occasionally, the victim would thank Jet with whatever they could spare. It wasn’t the coin he did it for, anyway.

There was that rush, that feeling of usefulness that couldn’t be fulfilled in any other job he’d attempted; keeping in the shadows, avoiding and evading the Dai Li. The stakes almost felt higher than ever; after all, he knew what it would mean, perhaps more than most, if he was captured by the Dai Li. Vigilantism was likely against city law.

Though, it was questionable if the secret headquarters below Lake Laogai even still existed. Jet wasn’t _willing to find out._

Then, crime slowed down. Maybe it was because word got out about him, maybe because the city was simply becoming safer. Either way, as there came less opportunities to stop the villains of the city, the insatiable itch returned, driving Jet mad.

He needed to fight. He needed this. Relaxing was impossible, and paranoia was nearly settling in again. Out of desperation, Jet took to wandering the streets during the day, his eyes peeled for any sort of mischief.

It was a strange day, months after the end of the war, that he ran into the Avatar while walking down the main street of the lower ring. Odd that Aang would be here, stranger still that he would be in the lower ring. Aang was equally surprised to run into Jet, but excited nevertheless. There was a reunion happening in the middle ring, he explained, but he had wanted to check on the zoo he had helped build when he had last been in the city. Somehow, he managed to convince Jet to come to the reunion.

Jet couldn’t say why he agreed to go. Boredom, maybe. The chance to see familiar faces he hadn’t been around in a long time, sure. But deep down, if he was honest, he knew the real reason was probably the fact that Aang had said that the Fire Lord would be there. The opportunity to tell the Fire Lord, to his face, what Jet thought of his stupid nation was a big draw.

But nothing could have prepared Jet for _Lee_ to be the _Fire Lord_.

For nearly a moment, the two of them stood as still as stone, dumbfounded, as they stared at the other. It was Jet who broke the silence first.

“I _knew_ you were Fire Nation.”

Everyone else- and it was a large crowd, and Jet recognized most, except for a few girls- had so many questions, and thankfully it was Lee- no, _Fire Lord Zuko_ \- who offered up an explanation while the _Dragon of the goddamn West_ offered him a cup of tea.

Jet needed to sit down, and it was beside a perky brunette with a ridiculously long braid that he found a place to sit. It seemed safe enough; she didn’t _look_ Fire Nation the way that Zuko and his girlfriend did. About a minute into introductions, and Jet was convinced that she could not be Fire Nation. She was so bubbly and happy, the complete opposite of how the Fire Nation girl acted, and how Zuko had been when Jet thought he was Lee.

Her name was Ty Lee, he found out, and she was a Kyoshi Warrior, the same as Sokka’s girlfriend, and she was quite the flirt.

It had been a long, long time since Jet last had the chance to just relax and flirt with someone; in fact, unless his memory was wrong, the last time had been with Katara, back in the forest of Gaipan. But it hadn’t been genuine; he had needed her to trust him, had needed her bending.

Jet didn’t like to think about that very much. A black spot on his accomplishments, really.

But it had been far too long since Jet had last had the opportunity to simply sit and talk and get to know someone new, and Ty Lee was so easy to talk to. She was open, and chatty, and genuinely curious about him and his life. It did come as a great shock, when she revealed some of her own past, to discover that she was, in fact, Fire Nation.

How she came to be a Kyoshi Warrior was one of the many questions that Jet had for her (among others that he would never ask, such as, _How are you so nice if you’re from the Fire Nation_?), and her answer was simple, concise; it was easy to see that she was glossing over something, and Jet tried not to hold that against her. There were pieces of his own past that he was not proud of, and he couldn’t imagine all that she would be ashamed of, having once supported the wrong side in the war.

They talked for so long that, the next time Jet happened a glance around the room, he was shocked to find it no longer illuminated by the sun but moonlight pouring in through the windows, the room now nearly empty. Only Iroh remained, sitting by one of the windows, a cup of tea in hand.

Jet left soon after, but not before Ty Lee told him that she planned on visiting the zoo the next day and asked him to join her. Of course he said yes. It wasn’t as if he had anything more pressing to do.

Looking at animals was never something Jet had ranked high on things he found interesting. It wasn’t that he hated animals. No, it was more that he was…indifferent to them. Some animals were tasty, some animals were useful, and the rest could just go about their business and leave Jet alone, as far as he cared.

Ty Lee had a very different opinion on animals.

We he met her at the entrance of the zoo, she already had a map in hand and figured out where all her favorite animals were kept. Jet walked with her, far more enjoying her reaction to the creatures than the animals themselves. She would gush and coo over the ones she found to be the cutest, and named every last animal she passed, and- strangely enough- prattle off interesting facts about some of the more dangerous beasts.

Apparently, the tamers in the circus had told her all about platypus bears and tigerdillos, so much that she could probably right an essay about each.

It was endearing to watch her take it all in, to interact and react with each animal, and when Jet slipped his hand into hers as they walked, she did not pull it away. Instead, she gripped him firmly, and pulled him along to the next enclosure.

He was invited to lunch with her the following day, and then again to the Jasmine Dragon the day after.

His days with Ty Lee were so filling, he found himself returning home usually shortly after nightfall, and sleeping soundly through the night. Smellerbee noticed the difference immediately; she slept lightly, and was used to waking up when he would return well after the midnight hour. During breakfast, she remarked on this, that Jet must have found a girl to so swiftly change his sleep schedule.

Jet didn’t correct her. He wouldn’t deny that Ty Lee was occupying his thoughts in a way no other girl ever had. She was just so positive, just pure happy energy, and that joy brought a peace within him he couldn’t explain.

He stopped itching to fight. He lost the need to look for trouble.

The effect she had on him truly was profound. Even Sokka commented on it, in his typical juvenile way. Mai had the opinion that Ty Lee was also more ‘grounded’ around Jet, and he had to laugh at that. If this was Ty Lee at her most level-headed, what did she act like otherwise?

The opinions the others had hardly mattered, though. For as much as they spoke of the positive influences they had on each other, there were concerns over the amount of time the two of them were spending together. Nearly every day they would see each other at least one, sometimes only for a short walk before Ty Lee needed to return for some sort of Kyoshi Warrior duty. But they found time for each other, wherever they could.

Their first kiss was shared atop the Jasmine dragon.

Ty Lee had decided that she wanted to stargaze, and clearly the best view within the city would only be found on top of a building. So, while everyone else slept, they both scaled up to the roof (Ty Lee doing so with much more grace than Jet had ever thought possible). The night air was chilly, and Ty Lee was snuggled up tight against Jet’s side, her head resting upon his shoulder, his arm around her. She fit so perfectly against him, and his hand just as easily found its home at her waist, and the stars above her bright and beautiful, and Jet couldn’t imagine a more romantic setting if he tried.

The kiss was inevitable, really.

Anyone in his shoes would have done the same.

Strangely enough, Ty Lee was private with their affection. Holding hands in public was fine, as well as a quick hug, but anything more and she suddenly became quite bashful and adorable. Whenever Jet was feeling particularly sadistic, he would plant a small kiss to her temple as they meandered through the shops of the middle ring, and watch her face turn bright red. It wasn’t often he would do this, of course. Making Ty Lee perpetually uncomfortable was never the goal.

And then, quite suddenly, she had far less time to spend with him.

Apparently, the Kyoshi Warriors had been hired as the Fire Lord’s bodyguards, and while Zuko was casually vacationing, security was a little lax (and if Jet really thought about it, it would be because he was consistently surrounded by incredibly skilled fighters anyway; he knew enough of Aang, Katara and Toph’s talents, and if Ty Lee was to be believed, Mai had an absolutely deadly skillset with blades). But part of the reason Zuko was in Ba Sing Se was to meet with various Earth Kingdom officials, and when in full Fire Lord regalia, the use of official bodyguards was required.

So, for nearly ten straight days, Ty Lee was unavailable for anything unrelated to Zuko’s safety, which meant she was not available for Jet.

During that week and a half, that old itch settled back in, the restlessness and the need to fight. Longshot caught him by the arm one night as Jet was about to leave after dark, tiger blades in hand. His expression was one of disappointment, that he thought Jet was past this.

Jet thought he had been, too. Reluctant, he pushed his hook swords into Longshots hands, and returned to his sleeping mat. Sleep did not come easily to him.

Eventually, Ty Lee was once more available for dates and tea and walks, and Jet found himself happily and easily falling back into that routine. He became relaxed again, no longer plagued by whatever strange urge took hold of him when Ty Lee was not around to force it away.

It couldn’t last of course.

“We’re leaving by the end of the week.”

Jet looked sharply at Ty Lee. It was evening, the sun was setting, and they were seated on the roof of the teashop again. She was looking out over the sea of rooftops, at the walls in the distance.

“To go where?” Jet asked, but he knew. Of course he knew.

“The Fire Nation,” she answered. “The Fire Lord needs to go back home to rule, and I go where he goes, so….”

She hadn’t looked at him yet. Maybe she was afraid of his reaction. He wanted her to turn his way, to better see her expression.

“I don’t want you to go.”

Ty Lee forced a small smile, looking down at her feet. “I know. I wish I could stay, too-”

“So do it.” Jet shifted closer to her. “Stay in Ba Sing Se with me.”

“I can’t do that, Jet.” Finally, she faced him. Her normally bright expression was replaced by something akin to sadness, wistful. “I like what I do, I like being a part of the Kyoshi Warriors. It’s the first place I ever felt that I actually fit in the way I always wanted to.” She let out a small exhale. “I’m just going to miss you a lot.”

He was frowning, brows close together. There had to be a way around this. He needed her. Jet could admit that. He needed her in his life to keep his peace. Gently, he placed his hand over hers.

"Ty Lee,” he breathed, exhaling her name. “You…touch me and suddenly I feel a little less war torn.” It felt so foreign, being so open about the chaos inside of him. But she felt safe. “I'm not sure what peace is supposed to feel like, but I think it may feel a lot like you.”

She gave him a quizzical look, not fully understanding, and he continued.

“Before I met you, I couldn’t be still. I have always been fighting, in some way, my whole life, and the need to fight is still there. I don’t know how to let go of the war. But when I’m with you, you help keep it all at bay. You keep it all calm.”

Ty Lee wet her lips, quiet, taking in what he said. He wanted to continue, to paint the picture more clearly for her, how necessary she was to him having normalcy in his life, but managed to hold back.

“I’m really happy I can make you feel such things,” she finally spoke, smiling at him, and that smile just made Jet want to melt and give her the whole world. “You should feel that way all the time. I want you to feel that way all the time, even after I leave.”

He opened his mouth, ready to protest, because she couldn’t leave, had she listened at all? But Ty Lee continued, not allowing him to speak just yet.

“I can’t be the only thing that makes you happy, Jet. It’s happiness you need. And you can find it elsewhere, too. You can’t- you can’t put that all on me. It isn’t fair to me. I have to do what’s right for me. And what’s right for me, right now, is to be a Kyoshi Warrior, and to do what’s needed of me with them.” She bit her lip. “I hope you understand.”

Jet was quiet, his eyes trained on the horizon and the brilliant colors in the sky, but he wasn’t taking any of it in. Her words whirled around in his mind, and he tried to pin them down, make sense of them.

He had known she would be leaving. Deep down, he knew she was here as the Fire Lord’s guard, and that she would go when he went, and that was just the way life always was. Nothing was permanent, nothing stayed.

Ty Lee, it seemed, was a warrior first, and as much as Jet hated that, he could respect it. Even more, somehow, she had found peace within her role, something Jet had never been able to find.

“I do,” he finally spoke. “I get it. I don’t like it, but I get it. Just wish you could stay longer.”

“I do too, but this has been really nice. I mean it, Jet. I really like you, and I know you’ll be able to be happy after I go. I think you just need to….” Ty Lee trailed off, thinking. “Figure out what it is that you _like_ doing, not just what you’re good at. That’s what I had to do. I’m really good at gymnastics, so I was good at being an acrobat, but I _like_ being surrounded by friends. That’s why I’m with the Kyoshi Warriors, instead of just returning to the circus.”

It was sound advice, better than he had expected of her. Ty Lee was so contradictory at times; bubbly and sweet, seemingly without a thought in her head at times, but just so aware of the world around her, able to pick up on the smallest of mood shifts within him. He wondered if she knew just how wise she actually was.

“I’ll work on that.” He slipped his hand out from under hers and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in closer. “Let’s just…enjoy this right now.”

All they had was now, after all. Better to not waste a moment yet.


End file.
